Staff report
CHINA GROVE — Carson’s girls basketball team won 43-37 against South Rowan on Friday.
South has the more experienced team, but the squads are very even in talent. The Raiders won the first South Piedmont Conference meeting, 45-42.
On paper, South had to be favored for the rematch, as Carson has been hurt by injuries to Rylee Hedrick (ankle sprain) and Brooklyn Johnson (concussion). Hedrick is the team’s leading scorer.
“It was Senior Night and we wanted to play well, but I was worried about how we would do,” Carson head coach Chloe Monroe said. “We scored 28 points in our previous game and we still didn’t have Rylee or Brooklyn.”
Julia Burleson, who is Carson’s only senior, came through with a huge game — 16 points, three 3-pointers — but that wasn’t a shock. She’s had big games before. She recently topped 500 points for her career.
The X-factor, the secret weapon was Emily Guiton. Her hustle, speed and defense give the junior guard an important role on the team, but she averages about a bucket a week. She had scored 26 points all season.
She made three 3-pointers and scored 12 points on Friday, the game of her life when her team needed it the most.
Freshman Audrey Faggart got 10 — she does that pretty often — and Braylee Johnson, Brooklyn’s sister, scored five. That was it for the Cougars — just four scorers — but 43 points was sufficient on a night when all the Cougars were getting rebounds and playing defense.
Day Pharr and Ella Morgan were the players who hurt Carson in the first meeting, combining for 27 points. They only got seven in the rematch.
Meghan Eagle, a senior who has played very well lately, scored 12 to lead South. She got six as South tried to rally in the fourth quarter. Christine Wilhoit and Avery Fisher made two 3s each.
The start was paramount for the short-handed Cougars (10-10, 7-6). They jumped out to a 17-7 lead early. They led 25-13 at the half and were able to hang on even after South (13-9, 6-7) started finding the range.
“Julia and Emily came out making shots early, gave us a lead, gave us confidence,” Monroe said. “Then we hung on and pulled it out. It was a big one for us.”
The story isn’t over yet. The teams finished in a tie for fourth (South won Saturday, while Carson lost) and will meet again on Monday (at South) in the first round of the SPC Tournament. Monroe said Hedrick and Brooklyn Johnson have made some progress. It may be a game-time decision on Hedrick.
South 7 5 11 14 — 37
Carson 17 8 10 8 — 43
SOUTH — Eagle 12, Fisher 8, Wilhoit 6, Pharr 4, Morgan 3, Alston 2, Krieg 2.
CARSON — Burleson 16, Guiton 12, Faggart 10, Braylee Johnson 5.
